Marshawn Lynch: Goes “Beast Mode” in Giving Back

Marshawn Lynch is probably known best as the retired “Beast Mode” Seattle Seahawks 5-time Pro Bowl running back who is a man of few words. Lynch announced his retirement in quiet unsuspecting way: during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 50, when the sports world was fixated on the Broncos-Panthers battle, he tweeted out an image of a pair of green cleats hanging from a telephone wire.

But before coming out of “retirement” and resigning to the Seahawks in December 2019, Lynch hadn’t played for Seattle since the divisional round of the playoffs after the 2015 season, when the Seahawks lost to the eventual NFC-champion Panthers. Drafted by Buffalo in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Lynch was traded to Seattle during the 2010 season.

In six seasons with the Seahawks, he racked up 6,347 rushing yards, 57 rushing touchdowns, four Pro Bowl selections and one epic postseason carry against the Saints.

Following that 2015 season, Lynch famously retired while Super Bowl 50 was being played by posting on Twitter a photo of his cleats hanging from a wire. After sitting out the 2016 season, he returned to play for his hometown Raiders for two seasons, playing in 21 games and compiling 1,267 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in the process.

But during his retirement, Lynch didn’t sit around just eating skittles. He actually launched a few businesses giving back.

Lynch’s mobile device company Beast Mobile has joined forces with Fam1st Family Foundation to create an initiative called Phones for the Homeless. Through the project, 3,000 homeless people on the West Coast will receive smartphones and three months of free service.

When he’s not making appearances, it turns out that some time off was just what Mr. “I’m-Only-Here-So-I-Don’t-Get-Fined” running back needed to bring out his inner philanthropist.

According to confirmed reports, unlike many other pro players, Lynch hasn’t spent a dime of the nearly 50 million ($49,703,823 to be exact) he has made in the NFL.

And just turning the ripe old age of 34 (yes, he’s only 34 years old), puts Marshawn ahead of the game on so many levels.

A 2009 Sports Illustrated study claimed that 78 percent of NFL retirees have “gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce” within two years of their careers ending (just look at Terrell Owens). But with rags to riches stories and the trappings of women, bad investments, etc, many fall victim to going back to being broke.

(photo courtesy of @beastmode official instagram)

When he was retired, he made good use of his first offseason retirement season by going into philanthropy mode and helping build houses for people in Haiti.

Marshawn and former Lions player Stephen Tulloch and the Seahawks’ Clif Avril were in Haiti together, building a school with the Cliff Avril Foundation. They’re also hosting a mobile medical clinic and a football camp.

The mission was organized by Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril, who is of Haitian descent, along with international charity Free the Children. Avril, Lynch, Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch and Buccaneers tackle Gosder Cherilus hosted the mobile medical clinic to assist in the everyday illnesses Haitians face but don’t have the resources to cure. The players also donated fresh water for an entire year while fresh water resources were being built.